An Hour Away
by Catherine Pugh
Summary: Ted and Peggy must attend an emergency meeting in Albany.


Ted Chaough looked at his watch. 8:50 in the morning. Ten minutes to go before the meeting with Fleischmann's margarine. He took a sip of orange juice and looked over the papers in the folio one last time. He could hear Peggy's heels clacking down the hall toward his office. Moira was off for the week, so Phyllis was filling in for her. He heard Phyllis and Peggy cheerfully shooting the breeze in the hallway. He secretly loved hearing Peggy in a jovial, casual mood, and wished he could see more of that side of her.

He couldn't help the amused smile that crept over his face as the two women compared makeup preferences. Peggy chattered on about Avon, and how her sister collected the little perfume bottles. Nan did the same thing, but Ted always hated the smell of Avon perfumes. (A little heavy-handed, he always thought.) He stood at the door, debating whether or not to make an early appearance in the hall, and decided he rather enjoyed listening to them.

Ted couldn't help but relish the fact that Peggy was such a perfect fit as a creative for Avon. He kept his fingers crossed that the account would be a successful gain for the agency. The prospective new business glowed in his head like the city of Oz. But, as it had for the past year or so, he thought equally gleefully about how good that account could mean for Peggy's career. When he caught himself doing this, it frightened him a little.

These little fancies would often drift through his head in brief waves during lunchtime or in the middle of the night: imagining them at the Clios or ANDYs, winning ad of the year; dining on filet mignon and champagne at La Caravelle; getting a juicy feature in _Advertising Age_. Admittedly, most of his fantasies about Peggy involved some sort of formal wear, but his imagination always made her look glamourous, and if he let his imagination go any further, she'd have no clothes at all. It felt much safer to simply keep his thoughts on business.

The intercom jolted him back to reality. Phyllis's voice spoke into the machine.

"Mr. Chaough? The representatives from Fleischmann's have arrived in the lobby for the meeting."

"Thank you, Phyllis. I'll be right out."

He gathered up his materials and cleared his throat. As he opened the door, he saw Peggy standing at attention, wearing an adorable yellow and white chevron shift dress. It complimented his own yellow shirt. His face broke into a wide grin.

"Morning, Phyllis. Peggy." He compared her yellow dress to his suit in a motion with his hand, and nodded in approval. "Margarine yellow. You have learned well!"

She beamed. "The power of subliminal messaging. You ready?"

Ted adjusted his tie and flattened the sides of his jacket. Satisifed, he nodded and they walked down the hall together toward the lobby to greet the Fleischmann's representatives. Pete was already meeting with them and making the introductions.

The meeting went well. Peggy refrained from touching Ted's hand, to his relief, and they approved the creative that had been presented. This put Ted into a glorious mood. After the representatives left, he clinked glasses with Peggy and they chatted about "Gilligan's Island."

Pete entered the boardroom with a strained look on his face.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news," he said, looking ashen.

Ted's radiant smile fell immediately as he asked Pete what had happened.

"I'm afraid one of the representatives we've been working with in Albany was killed in a car accident a week ago. We were just informed of the tragedy. They've requested an emergency meeting regarding the account and they want Creative with them."

"That's awful," mused Peggy. "Really too bad," she trailed off.

Pete continued, interrupting her in his clipped voice. "I'm afraid with Don and Roger and Ken in Detroit, and my duties here, this last minute thing is going to be difficult. Can you and Peggy handle this? They want to meet this afternoon, if possible."

Ted stood up and clapped Pete comfortingly on the shoulder.

"Yes, we can make a flight up there. It should be about an hour or so travel. You looking forward to a flight, Peggy?"

"I'm game," she said, gathering up her materials. She looked at Pete. Relief washed over his face for a brief moment before it scrunched back up into stress. He nodded at her and said "Thank you," before heading back to his office.

"I've never been in a plane before," she said.

"You will love it," he replied, with a grin.

-o0o-

If Peggy had ever thought sitting in a small two seater might be dangerous, she certainly never showed any fear, Ted marveled. Unlike his terrifying ordeal with Don in the bad weather, this day was gorgeous. Once they leveled off above the clouds, he looked over and saw the rapture across her face. She was utterly transfixed by the view, and looked out the windows in awe.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed. "It looks like a painting. It doesn't look real up here!"

"It's my favorite thing in the world," Ted replied, steadying the controls and reading the gauges. "I always loved planes when I was a little boy. My dad would tell me stories about Lindbergh's flight, and I'd read all the books I could about planes. Couldn't get enough. I was too young for the War, but once I started making money I decided it was time to take flying lessons. Nan hated it and thought it was a waste of time and too dangerous, but I couldn't stand the thought of never being able to do this. And it was the best thing I ever learned."

Peggy smiled at Ted's story. He clearly adored flying, and it was intoxicating to see him operating this aircraft so gleefully. She liked his bomber jacket and aviator glasses, too. It suited him well.

They landed without any problem in Albany. The man at the airport had to refuel the engine, but before they went to the meeting he pulled Ted aside.

"Don't want to alarm you, Mr. Chaough, but there's something wrong with your wing that needs some immediate attention."

Ted nodded at Peggy to wait a minute before they left. He joined the tech as they examined the wing. Some pieces had fallen off at landing, and the aircraft was too dangerous to fly back in its condition.

"We don't have the part here, Mr. Chaough. This is going to have to be serviced overnight. We can recommend a nice motel up the road for you and the Mrs. if you like." He handed Ted a card.

Ted's face fell into a frown. The mechanic was correct – the plane was too dangerous to fly. This day was only getting shittier. His stomach lurched.

"I'll tell Peggy. Thank you," he replied. "I'll be in touch after the meeting about this."

-o0o-

Ted and Peggy hailed a cab as he explained the situation, clearly embarrassed. Peggy, thankfully, took the incident in stride. She was relieved that the man caught the problem and was fixing it, instead of them dying in a fiery crash in the Adirondacks somewhere.

The meeting went well, which elevated Ted's mood enormously. As they left, he examined the business card of the motel and they took a cab to the place.

"You are lucky, we have one room left. Number 24," said the elderly lady behind the desk, as she slurped a pickle.

"Actually, we are going need two rooms, ma'am," Ted said politely.

"You two having marriage problems or something? Ain't my business," she said. "But we're all full up, what with the Shriner convention this weekend. Shoulda reserved ahead of time. Now you'll just have to patch things up between you two."

"We didn't know we were staying…" Ted began.

"Oh, we're not married," said Peggy, in her charming persuasion voice she usually used in meetings. "We're on a business trip, you see."

"Doesn't change the amount of rooms available, toots." She turned to Ted. You want it or not?"

Ted nodded and signed the register.

They walked into the room. To his despair, there were neither twin beds in the room, nor a suitable couch to sleep on, just one mid-sized double bed covered in a nice but plain chenille spread. A large modern painting of a large-eyed girl holding a kitten hung over the bed. He shuddered.

"You take the bed, Peggy. I'll sleep on the floor. Won't be the first time," he joked halfheartedy.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ted."

"I'm not BEING ridiculous. Are we having this discussion?"

"What's the matter now?" she asked, impatiently. Ted was starting to turn red, and she suspected it had something to do with a conversation they'd had in his office months ago.

"Peggy, we are in a motel, alone, together, in another city."

"Yup."

"And?" He looked exasperated.

"And we're going to get a good night's sleep before you fly us back to New York City tomorrow," she said, determinedly. "At least we can watch TV in here. The sign says they even have color television. Hey! That weird show _The Prisoner_ is on tonight! We can watch that. Have you been following it?"

Ted nodded, still tense.

"Look, Ted, you need to calm down," she added, trying to soothe her own nerves, as well as his. His agitated state made her heart pound.

Ted sat down on the bed and buried his head in his hands as his breathing settled.

"Alright. I'm sorry, Peggy. I don't mean to overreact. It's just…Nan will make my life a living hell if she finds out about this. And I'm concerned Moira will put two and two together and mention something to her. You know how they're buddy-buddy."

Peggy nodded.

"Well, let's talk about it later, then," she said. We have a whole night. But you should call Nan to let her know you're okay, first. I'll step outside for some fresh air while you do that."

"Alright."

Ted called Nan and explained what had happened. This incident had occurred before, so it was nothing new. He was relieved that Moira was out for the week, because she would surely have alerted Nan to the fact that Peggy was currently THERE, sharing a room with him.

Peggy stood outside on the porch, watching the people splashing in the pool below. It was a nice evening for a swim; she regretted not having a swimsuit with her. Or a change of clothes at all. There was the matter of that. All she had to sleep in was a slip. At least there was a complimentary bathrobe hanging on the shower door.

Ted popped his head out the door.

"Well, that's that," he sighed.

"What'd she say?" asked Peggy. She knew exactly what Nan said, in that cutting Nan way…it was a crack about Ted being foolish for even having a plane in the first place.

"It doesn't matter," he said, resignedly. "Want a beer? Food? We should get something to eat."

Peggy smiled. "Sure. I am pretty hungry. Those crullers at the meeting didn't do much."

They ate at the small diner across the highway. It was homey, but good. Ted had the meatloaf and mashed potatoes; Peggy had a bowl of soup and a grilled cheese. They chattered away about the meeting earlier in the day, made a few jokes about Pete Campbell, and Ted told her a dirty limerick he'd once learned from Gleason. They had a good time, and a couple of beers with their dinner. Peggy made up a dirty limerick of her own on the spot. He was impressed with her wordplay prowess.

"It's my job," she giggled.

"Not with THAT word, it isn't," he teased back.

Ted bought two six-packs of Budweiser to take back to the room, and he plopped on the bed, popping one open. Peggy turned on the set and sat next to him on the bed, both of them sitting against the headrest. They enjoyed the episode.

Peggy stepped into the shower after the show was over, while Ted absently watched the news, trying not to think about Peggy being naked in the next room. He stripped down to his t-shirt and shorts, regretting the fact that his emergency overnight bag was still in the plane.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he said, when she emerged from the shower, fresh and clean in her slip and the bathrobe. She smiled when she saw him in the shirt. She'd only ever seen him in a casual shirt once, at the CGC company picnic in Central Park last summer.

He sipped his beer to quell his drying throat. "I'm not used to being in this kind of situation. And…well…"

"It's going to be okay, Ted. I'm not here to seduce you," she laughed.

"That's just it," he replied, breaking out in a sweat. "…I wouldn't mind."

Peggy got quiet, turned around slowly, and walked back into the bathroom, afraid to continue the conversation. She looked in the mirror to see if there was anything about her that he could throw in her face as being a seductress when his fear grappled him. She didn't look particularly fetching. The robe was threadbare and her white cotton slip wasn't exactly lingerie.

_I'm not trying, I'm not trying…_

She emerged from the bathroom a couple of minutes later, her hair out of the towel.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Let's just go to sleep. It's been a long, eventful day, and we're both tired."

Ted apologized, nodded and patted the bed next to him. She smiled and took the invitation. She pulled a beer out of the holder and offered it to him. He took it, opened it, and she clinked with her own as they watched television together. Carson would be on soon.

Halfway through the show, Ted shifted his position and their arms touched. The sudden contact sent shivers through her. She looked over at him. He met her eyes with that longing look of his, and she was just buzzed enough to take the hint. She leaned against him. He automatically put his arm around her waist, inhaling the scent of hotel shampoo from her freshly-washed hair.

"That wasn't scary at all," Ted whispered, after a few minutes passed.

"No," Peggy replied. A cloud passed over her face. "Why, Ted? Why do you feel this way about me?"

Ted looked at her incredulously.

"Peggy, do you have any idea how special you are? You're intelligent, capable, and kindhearted. You care about your work, and you care about others. I'm surprised no one else seems to have appreciated that about you. And you're so beautiful, to boot."

Peggy laughed against him. "That's absurd. No one's ever called me that."

Ted faced her and looked at her with adoration.

"That's ridiculous. Your eyes are so blue and bright, your smile lights up the room. You look like a painting. I feel like everyone can see my feelings all over my face when you're near me, and I hate feeling so weak around you. But I can't take my eyes off of you."

He reached over with his other hand as he spoke, brushing her cheek with his fingers, relishing the smooth skin against them. Peggy shuddered at his touch, closing her eyes; feeling waves of pleasure come over her.

"Ted…"

"I'll stop if you want me to."

"Only if you want to stop," she ventured. She opened her eyes to meet his.

He paused for a second, then leaned in and kissed her. Her lips parted and they continued kissing gently, their lips barely touching; just holding the tension between them. She could feel her body getting warmer with anticipation. A gasp escaped her, encouraging Ted to deepen the kiss. Finally, after an eternity, Ted reached around and pulled her toward him in earnest. Peggy wrapped her arms around him as they collapsed on the bed together, kissing madly. He tugged at the sash enclosing her robe, exposing her white slip. She shook the robe off of her as he kissed her neck.

"You mesmerize me, Peggy Olson," Ted breathed, dragging his fingers across her bare shoulders as Peggy kissed his neck and moved up. Feeling her soft breath tickling his ears drove him wild. Hearing his name whispered in them sent him over. He pulled her down with him and their lips crushed together once again. This time the kisses felt more urgent as their breathing quickened. Peggy swung her leg over and straddled him. The sensation of her weight upon his hips caused Ted to groan with desire, as they deepened their kisses. He ran his fingers through her hair, up and down her neck. He suddenly rolled her over on her back, leaning on top of her. Peggy shifted under him, staring up into his face, smiling.

"What?" she asked, lamely.

"I want to remember you like this, always," he replied, returning her grin. She reached up and pulled up at his shirt. The sensation of skin against skin sent them into a passionate frenzy, as they shed the rest of their clothes and began to go at it in earnest. He had never experienced anything so erotic in his life. His whole body thrilled to Peggy's touch.

Just before Ted felt himself about to come inside her, he looked down at Peggy, eager to see her face as he came closer and closer to the brink. For some odd reason, he could suddenly smell bacon in the hotel room.

"Breakfast is ready," Peggy said matter-of-factly, in Nan's voice.

"Nan?" Ted said, closing his eyes. He re-opened them quickly and looked down to see Nan underneath him, stark naked. Next to the bed stood Peggy watching them calmly, in her blue and red suit dress, holding a portfolio case. Ted began to panic about being late to work.

"Get up, Ted. TED. You're going to miss the train."

Suddenly, his eyes opened. He was in his own bed, covered in cold sweat, and realized immediately that his body had taken over. He hadn't had a dream like THAT since he was a teenager. He leaned his head back on the pillow and breathed as if he had been running. The smell of bacon permeated the house as he glanced at his alarm and realized that it was, in fact, 7 in the morning, and he was home.

The meeting with Fleischmann's was in two hours.

He had no idea how the hell he was going to get through the day after that dream. All he could think about was…that. He was sure it was plastered all over his face. He walked into the bathroom and splashed cold water on his face, before quickly dressing.

Ted went downstairs to find Nan in the kitchen, serving up bacon and eggs.

"Thank you, dear," he said, sipping on some orange juice.

"Don't thank me," she replied in an arched tone. "Maybe you should thank Peggy Olson. All you did was yell her name in your sleep last night."

"Don't be silly," he said, hiding behind his newspaper as she sat down across from him at the table. "I have to meet with Fleischmann's this morning. This account has been particularly stressful." His hand shook as he ate a slice of bacon and some toast. Surely Nan could see this. It was going to be hell at that meeting. If Peggy even looked at him, he was sure he'd give away his secret. Then everyone would know he kissed her that night in his office.

"Mmm hmm," replied Nan, spreading marmalade on her toast. "Finish up, darling, you're going to be late." She tipped her head so he could kiss her cheek. Ted did so automatically, and dashed out the door.

The entire train ride was rife with his anxiety over what his dream meant. It was so vivid; so real. He could FEEL Peggy in his dream.

And she was walking down the hall again. He got up from his desk to open his door and pop out his head before she started talking with Phyllis.

Thank god.

She wasn't wearing yellow. She was wearing red and white polka dots.

"Ready for the meeting?" she asked, bright and chipper. He was sure his face was a million shades of red. He began to feel his resolve crumble.

"Yes," he replied, clearing his throat, trying not to remember anything from the dream as they walked down the hall together.


End file.
